Bobby Craves His Right End Return At Hopeful Hemel

Hemel Hempstead Town’s manager craves a fifth promotion after a couple of seasons doing something he’s not all too familiar with.

The former Hungerford and Wealdstone boss loved life at Weymouth, saving their skins with a great escape in his first year before securing a more comfortable finish, job done before making his exit in late March.

Speaking to the National League for the latest in our series of summer features, Wilkinson hopes to be living life looking up and not down this time.

The Tudors represent a chance to get back on the promotion push wagon, he feels, and ahead of their return to training on Thursday, he would love something else to sling on his CV.

He said: “This club hasn’t had too much to shout about for a while now, not since the days of Dean Brennan really. The aim is to change all that.

“It’s a great club with fantastic people but we need to push it in the right direction. Personally, I want to be up that other end, in the mix of promotion again.

"I like to build teams, create a collective and this project excites me so much.

“I really enjoyed the last few years, we did fantastically well and to stay up when we were in such trouble - bottom with a few weeks to go - proves that we cracked it at Weymouth. Now I can’t wait to really get going with this new challenge.”

Wilkinson knows just how strong the National League South will be this season.

So he knew to stand a chance in playing a part of the race for the top seven, Hemel had to add goals.

They don’t come more prolific than Ricardo German after 33 for Chesham United last season and the manager revealed how he won the race.

Going early with nearly all his business, he dedicated the whole of last month to his recruitment - and hopes being quick out of the blocks really delivers.

“I aimed to have the vast majority of my signings done by the last week in May,” the Vauxhall Road boss said.

“That’s just how I have always tried to do things and I like forming the group early, even if now and again you have to be patient.

“This is going to be such a demanding league next season and getting our horse in order early was a big thing. I’m really happy with what we’ve managed to do.”

He has backed German to keep finding the net and spoke about his mission to snare the predator.

“I turned up at his house!” the 43-year-old said. “I was happy to hassle him all summer if need be.

“Sometimes players just need to feel loved and feel wanted. They want to be part of an exciting project and that’s what we hope this will be.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s shaping up to be a massive year with the league full of big clubs pulling off some big deals. We see something eye-catching three or four times a week, it will be very competitive.

“We’d love to play a part in things in the top half of the table. We’re exciting and can’t wait for the friendly games to start.”